Possessed
by Puppeteered
Summary: The Hyuuga clan is out, leaving Neji to look after Hanabi and the main house with Tenten's help. But is Hanabi the one who needs protecting or the one who needs protecting from?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

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"Are you sure that this is alright?" Tenten asked, walking into the mansion. Although she'd been here many times before, the place still never failed to impress her with its sheer size. The gardens were all trimmed to perfection and every single surface on the house was spotless.

"Of course – I told my uncle," Neji reassured her. "He's fine with you helping me look after the place while they're away. Hanabi's still here, but she's a quiet girl. She shouldn't be too much trouble."

"I hope not," she smiled. "When's Lee getting here?"

Neji's face went a light shade of pink. He looked away from her. "Well… I thought that this would be a good opportunity for just the two of us to bond, to improve our teamwork as a couple. Oh, not that we are a couple of course, not in that way…"

Tenten smiled. For a genius, Neji could be an idiot sometimes. She liked that about him.

"Oh, well what sort of 'teamwork exercises' did you have in mind?" she asked him flirtatiously. Neji coughed nervously.

"Er, shall I make tea?" he asked. Tenten laughed.

"Sure, I'd like that."

Neji nodded and hurried off into the house. Tenten took a seat on the wooden floorboards, looking out into the night sky. Just her and Neji for the night – it would be nice. Normally the only time they ever saw each other was with Lee or Guy-sensei around, who spent so much time yelling out things about 'youth' and 'passion' that her and Neji didn't really get a chance to speak to each other much.

But tonight it would be just the two of them. Tenten sighed happily. Neji was a nice, caring guy, as well as being incredibly handsome. He may be a little socially awkward sometimes, but he was a genius – it was to be expected.

Neji walked out of the house, followed by his cousin Hanabi. She was an introvert, much like her older sister Hinata, but she had a lot more confidence in herself and her abilities. She smiled in greeting at Tenten, and she smiled back at the young girl.

Neji handed Tenten her cup of hot tea and sat down next to her. "Hanabi's off to bed now, she just came out to say goodnight," he explained. Hanabi bowed her head.

"Goodnight, Tenten-san," she said politely.

"Night – sleep well, mkay?" Tenten replied. The girl smiled brightly.

"Thank you," she said, and walked back into the house. Neji smiled, a rare sight even for his teammate.

"She seems to like you," he commented. Tenten shrugged.

"She's a nice girl," she said. "She's been raised well here."

"Yeah," Neji agreed with her. There was an awkward silence. Neji looked like he was about to say something, but stopped himself.

"Is something the matter, Neji?" she asked, trying to get him to loosen up. Neji took a big swig of his tea and sighed, steeling himself.

"Tenten, we've known each other for a long time now haven't we?" he asked.

"Mmm?" Tenten replied.

"Well…" Neji hesitated for a moment, collecting his words. "I know that with Guy and Lee around we don't really spend much time together just the two of us. And I was hoping that we could change that, because… Well, if you don't want to I understand, but…"

Neji turned and looked her straight in the eye. Tenten felt herself blush, waiting to hear what he would say.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… I like you, Tenten. As in, really like you." Tenten giggled to herself. Neji looked confused and embarrassed. "Well, I mean, if you don't feel the same way…" he said, backtracking.

"No, Neji," she said, and leant over and kissed him. The surprise on his face was priceless. "I've been waiting a long time for you to say that," she admitted, and Neji let out a short laugh as well.

"Holy crap, I was so worried," he said. Tenten leant over and they kissed again, this time for longer. She smirked, putting her hand on top of his.

"I think you and I are going to have a fun night tonight," she said suggestively. Neji smiled back, still a little dazed at the fact she had returned his affections.

And then it came.

The bloodcurdling scream from inside the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

* * *

Tenten's eyes widened in sheer horror as the demented, high-pitched scream echoed throughout the mansion. She had heard cries of pain before on the battlefield, but none of them were even comparable to this. The noise was part agony, part madness and all absolutely horrific.

"Hanabi!" Neji shouted, jumping to his feet. Remembering herself, Tenten did the same and followed him into the house. Neji was a very difficult person to rile up, but when it came to his family he was very protective.

They ran into Hanabi's bedroom, but the girl was gone. Her sheets had been casually thrown back, as if she'd only gotten up for a drink of water or to go to the toilet. Neji knelt down next to the bed, looking for clues to her whereabouts.

"Did they get away?" Tenten asked. Neji shook his head.

"They can't have gone far – I should still be able to find them." He drew two fingers in front of his face, gathering his chakra.

"Byakugan!"

Neji knelt in silence for a few seconds, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"There's no trace of anyone," he said slowly, surprised. "It's like they just vanished into thin…"

A giant gush of air surged through the house, blowing out all the candles and plunging the house into darkness. Tenten gasped in surprise. In the pitch black she felt Neji's hand grab her wrist, and she didn't know whether he was trying to comfort her or himself.

"Tenten, they're trying to get to us," he told her. "Don't let them spook you."

Tenten smiled. Neji was putting on a brave front for her. "Got it," she said, reaching for her scrolls. "Hold up, I should have some matches somewhere…"

She pulled out a scroll and opened it up, and a box of matches materialised into her hand. She lit one up and used it to light up the nearest candle.

"Much better," she smiled half-heartedly. To be honest, the lone candle only made the situation seem even spookier if anything. The wall was now partially illuminated, and Tenten could see marks on the wall.

She looked at Neji questioningly, and in the dim light she saw him nod back. He picked up the candle and moved it closer to where the marks were, and Tenten saw that they were actually words. The text glistened a deep, rich red, just like that of freshly-drawn blood.

The words were crudely written, but clear nonetheless:

_**I'M COMING FOR YOU**_

"That's just sick," Neji said, disgusted.

"But the lights were only out for ten seconds at most!" Tenten protested. "There's no way they could have got in and out in that time without us knowing."

"It appears this is no ordinary opponent." Neji frowned. "Hanabi disappearing, the blood, the gust of wind… Something just doesn't add up."

"We should go find Guy-sensei or someone," Tenten said, grabbing the candle off of him. "I don't think this is something that we can face on our own." Neji nodded in agreement.

The two of them crept carefully through the house, trying to make as little noise as possible. They came to the front door and Tenten reached out to slide it open. She pushed the door sideways, but it wouldn't move. She pushed again harder, but it still wouldn't budge.

"Dammit, they've locked the doors," Tenten said. "So what do we…?"

She turned around to find Neji staring at her incredulously.

"Neji? Are you okay"

Neji shook his head slowly.

"Tenten, the house doesn't have locks," he explained. "We've been sealed inside."


End file.
